Invalid-bedstead.



T. C. ROBINSON, DEC'D.

n. J. SAVAGE, ADMINIBTBATKIX.

INVALID BEDSTEAD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

UNITED STATES IZATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. ROBINSON, DECEASED, LATE 0F EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS, BY ELIZA- BETH J. SAVAGE, ADMINISTRATRIX.

INVALID-BEDSTEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Man 26, 1912 Application filed May 11, 1911.

Serial No. 626,607.

.steads especially designed for use of invalids,

' the mattress supporting frame, constituting a bed frame, butso supported by the main frame that the bed frame may be transversely tipped or laterally inclined, and positively secured at any position within the limits of its adjustability so that one longitudinal edge may be raised while the other is simultaneously depressed.

The inventionhas for its object to provide a bedstead of this character which will enable a patient to have his position changed without being obliged to touchhis body or prop him in different positions by means of pillows or other articles.

Another object of the invention is to pro- Vide a bedstead which can be secured in any one of a wide range of laterally or longitudinally, inclined positions.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-Figure 1 is a side some of the operating mechanism and gearing. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of one of the springs .for supporting the intermediate portion of the spring mattress.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or'similar parts inall of the figures.

The-'main frame comprises a suitable head 10 and foot 11 connected by side rails 12,

' and having a cross bar 13 at each end which iselevated (see Fig. 2) considerably above the plane of. the side rails 12 to provide the longitudinal pivotal support 18, hereinafter described, atthe proper elevation so that when the mattress frame is tilted the lower edge will not pass below a side rail 12.

The bed or mattress frame comprises a head section 14 and a foot or body section 15 which are pivotally connected at 16 and carry any suitable or preferred wire mattress 17. The sections 14, 15 as a whole c0mprise the support for the wire mattress 17. Iivoted at 18 to each of the end bars 13 is a frame 19,,of an inverted U-shape, the two frames 19 being connected by longitudinal rods 20, so that the two frames 19 and the rods 20 may swing together on the pivots 18. One frame 19'hasa fixed pendent arm 21 to the lower end of which is pivoted a nut 22. A screw shaft 23 passes through said nut and has a crank 24 at its outer end, said crank being preferably a removableone. A suitable supporting bracket forthe outer endv of said screw shaft 23.is shown at 25 in Fig. 2.

The rods 20 are connected by transverse bars 26, one beneath the section 14:. and the other beneath the section 15. As the mechanisms for longitudinally tilting the sections 14, 15 are the same a description of one will suflioe for both. The bar26 hasJbearin-gs 27, 28 for a shaft 29, the outer end. of-which has a crank or is formed tobe engaged by a removable crank. The inner end of the shaft carriesia pinion 30. Suitably mounted as by means of-the shaft 29v is a bracket 31 having a vertical bearing 32. A nut .33 is mounted in said bearingand is formed with an annular groove 34'which is engaged by a screw 35 to retain saidnut against longitudinal movement in its bearing while permitting it to rotate therein.- The nut carries a pinion 36 which meshes with the pinion 30, and a screw 37 passes through said nut. Said screw is pivotally connected at its upper end to a rod 38 supported by ears 39 carried by the adjustable section. 'It will now be understood that, by operating the screw shaft 23, the entire bed frame including the two sections 14 and 15 may be swung upon the pivots 18 and secured in practically any laterallyinclined position desired. By actuating the shafts 29, the sections 14, 15 may be inclined longitudinally of the bedstead as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. By adjusting one section upwardly and the other downwardly on pivot or center 16, the mattress may be fixed in one plane but inclined so that either the-head end or the foot end may be the highest. 01' either section can be adjusted so as to chan e its angle relatively to the other to any egree that is liable to be desired. All of the adjustments can be effected without disturbing the patient, his body simply following the varying inclinations with perfect ease.

The support for the pivotal joints 16 is provided by straps 40 the lower ends of which are mounted on the rods20, and the upper portions of said straps are connected by a transverse bar 41, the plane of said bar 41 being considerably below that of the Wire mattress 17. Said bar 41 carries yielding supports for the pivotal portion of the wire mattress at the point where the greatest weight is usually applied. Said bar 41 has-secured thereto a row of sockets 42, a plunger 43 being mounted in each of said sockets and having a stem 44 which is surrounded by a coil spring 45 inclosed within the socket. The upper ends of the plungers 43 are connected to the wire mattress 17 and therefore, when the sections 14, 15 are adjusted upwardly, the plungers 43, owing to their attachment to the wire mattress 17 will hold that transverse portion of the mattress from riding. The plungers 43 are limited as to their upward movement by pins 46 extending through the stems 44 below the bottom of the sockets. To sustain the middle portion of the bar 41, a suitable truss such as indicated at 47- in Fig. 2, may be connected to the rods 20 and to said bar 41. As shown by comparing Figs. 1 and 2, each section 14, 15-, is of a length so that its end may pass up or down inside the upper cross bar of frame member 19, and each section 14, 15, is supported by the vertically adjustable cross rod 38 and by the pivots 16. 1 Since the pivots 16 are supported by the straps 40, and the latter by the rods 20, which are connected to the laterally swinging frames 19 pivotally supported at 18 to the fixed end bars 13, it is obvious that when the frame comprising the members 19, 20, is swung on pivots 18 by rotating the shaft 23, the members 26, the gearing shown in Fig. 3, the rods 38, the straps 40, bar 41, pivots 16, and sections 14, 15, all swing as one, while still permitting the sections 14, 15, to be independently adjusted as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1,'no matter what may be the lateral inclination secured by the shaft 23.

One especial reason for holding thebed frame or mattress securely in a laterally inclined position is to enable irrigation of the patient to be performed Without turning the patient on his side. The structure illustrated enables the patients body to be inclined laterally to the right or left while still actually lying on his back. Another reason for the adjustment to any fixed lateral inclination is to be able to meet a patients wishes for changes of position, without having to touch his body or prop him "2. An adjustable bedstead point in the desired position with pillows or other articles. And this applies also to the means for adjusting, and holding the adjustment of, the sections in a longitudinal direction. In other words, a patient who becomes restless and desirous of changes of position, can have his position changed to a fraction of an inch in any direction, without lifting any part of his body, or doing any propping, and it is done easily and noiselessly, and without chance of the adjusted position being unintentionally disturbed.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable bedstead comprising a main frame, a bed frame, connections between said parts permitting the bed frame to be transversely tipped, and mechanism for tipping the bed frame and positively securing it at any position within the limits of its adjustability, said mechanism including a downwardly projecting arm affixed to the central portion of the bed frame, a screw threaded shaft journaled in bearings on the main frame, a nut engaged with the said shaft and having a sliding engagement with the arm, means for preventing the rotation'of the nut with the shaft, and means operable from the exterior of the main frame for rotating the shaft.

comprisin a main frame, a pivoted bed frame adapte to be transversely tipped relatively to the main frame, and having a hinged head section, the main portion of the pivoted bed frame having a downwardly projecting arm, mechanism supported by the main frame and c0- operating with said arm in transversely tipping the bed frame and securingit at any position within the limits of its tipping movement, and mechanism supported by the pivoted bed frame for imparting a swinging adjustment to the head section thereof, and positively securing the latter in any position to which it may be adjusted.

3. An adjustable bedstead comprising a main frame, a bed frame having head and body sections .pivotally connected together and having a wire mattress, means for independently adjusting the longitudinal inclination of the head and body sections, and independent spring supports extending transversely of the bed frame at the pivotal of itssections.

4. An adjustable bedstead com rising a main frame, a bed frame having iiead and body sections pivotally connected together and having a wire mattress, means for independently adjusting the longitudinal incli-' nation of the head and body sections, and independent spring supports extending transgets supported by said sprin s and connected to the mattress of the be frame.

5. An adjustable bedstead comprising a main frame, two pivotally connected bed frame sections having their outer ends pivotally supported by the main frame whereby the bed frame may tilt laterally as a whole, an arm carried by the bed frame and having a nutat its lower end, a screw shaft mounted in the main frame and en agin said nut, and means for independent a justing the inclination of the bed rame sections.

6. An adjustable bedstead comprising a main' frame, two' pivotally connected frame sections havlng their outer ends pivotally supported by the main frame whereby the bed fr'ame may tilt laterally as a whole, an arm carried by the bed frame and having a nut at its lower end, a screw shaft mounted in the main frame and engaging said nut, and means for independently ad- 'justing the inclination of the bed'frame sections, said adjusting meansfor each section comprising a pendent screw, a rotatably mounted nut fitting said screw and having a pinion, and a crank shaft having a pinion meshing with the inion of said nut.

In testimony w ereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ELIZABETH J. SAVAGE, Admz'm'simztm'm of the estate of Thomas 0.

Robinson, deceased. Witnesses: WILLIS V. PATCH, FRED H. Pnnsco'rr. 

